On Tuesday, Indonesia’s Ruang volcano erupted, spewing lava and casting lightning flashes across its crater. This prompted authorities to escalate the alert status and evacuate over 12,000 residents from a nearby island. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) had earlier cautioned Tagulandang island’s inhabitants about the potential for a tsunami resulting from volcanic material collapsing into the ocean.
The warning, issued Tuesday morning, remained in effect throughout the afternoon. Following the eruption in the early hours, PVMBG raised Ruang’s alert status to the highest level, advising residents to steer clear of the vicinity. Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) confirmed the relocation of all 843 Ruang island residents to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province. Similarly, inhabitants of Tagulandang island are being transferred to Siau island to the north.
This Ruang volcano eruption comes after a series of earlier eruptions this month, which necessitated the evacuation of hundreds and the temporary closure of Manado’s airport. Those eruptions also inflicted damage on some residences. During that period, the volcanology agency had issued a caution regarding potential tsunamis.
Footage released by Indonesia’s disaster agency depicted lightning strikes illuminating Ruang’s crater, while fiery red clouds of lava and rocks spewed into the air and showered down onto the island. According to the volcanology agency, the eruption column soared to a height of 5 kilometers (3.1 miles). They urged any remaining residents within a 7-km, formerly 6-km, radius to evacuate immediately, citing the potential for further “explosive eruptions.”
Situated approximately 100 km from Manado, Ruang island lies within North Sulawesi province’s north-central region in the vast Indonesian archipelago. The eruption coincided with heightened seismic activity and deep volcanic earthquakes, as reported by the disaster agency.